Automatic device for operating hatch-covers for elevators.



No. 737,312. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

S. E. AUSTIN. AUTOMATIG'DEVIGE FOR OPERATING HATCH COVERS FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7' 1 903- H0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 illm WITNESSES. INVENTO/I xfimaailfilqiaza W I By (w Afro/m5 rs.

No. 737,312. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

S. E. AUSTIN. I I AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR OPERATING HATCH COVERS FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. 1903.

H0 MODEL.

5 SHEETS-$1112?! 2.

' \X\ I WITNESSES Z0" HVVENTOH xJZZmueZ flua'iz'n No.' 737,312. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903. $3. AUSTIN.

AUT OMATIG DEVIGE FUR QPBRATING HATCH COVERS FOR ELEVATORS.

- W APPLICATION rum) A1 11. 7. 1903.

no MODEL.

3 SHEETS-$11513 3.

times STATES Fatented August 2d, 190%;

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. AUSTIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,312; dated August 25, 1903. Application filed April '7, 1903. Serial No. 151,475. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it 77mg concern.-

Be it known thatI, SAMUEL E. AUSTIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Device for Operating Hatch-Covers for Elevators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to improvements in an automatic device for operating hatch-covers for elevators of that class disclosed in United States Letters Patent issued to Hugo Mattullath, No. 592,933, dated November 2, 1897, wherein a latch-bolt is employed for sustaining a hatchway-cover, said bolt being geared to a segment on a short shaft which is equipped with a finger or cam, the latter being disposed in the path of a tappet that is movable with the platform of an elevator car or cage of a suitable type. As heretofore constructed the means for actuating the bolt operate with a certain amount of noise and.

clash; and one object that I have in view is to provide a simple and efficient construction which is practically noiseless in operation.

Another object that I have in view is to provide means for incasing the bolt and its associated parts, the same being readily adjustable relative to the path of the wiper and being secured immovably in such adjusted positions.

Another object of the invention is to make provision for adjustment of the hanger for the tappet devices and the cover suspensionhook to be carried by the vertically-movable platform, whereby said parts may be adjusted to accurately engage with the cam and with the hatchway-cover.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view illustrating the general arrangement ofan elevator system to which my improvements are adapted to be applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hanger adapted to be carried hoist O of any description.

by a' car-platform and one cover-holding bolt equipped with means for automatically actuating the same on the vertical travel of the car-platform. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, in side elevation, partly in section, showing the devices adapted to be carried by the carplatform; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation through the devices adapted to be secured to a wall or post of the hatchway. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation through a hatchway, illustrating the operation of collecting the covers at the top of a hoist and dropping the covers from the bottom of the hoist on the ascent of said hoist. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view through a hatchway,show ing the group of devices for supportinga cover therein. tion showing the cooperative relation ofa hanger on the hoist to a latch-bolt and the suspension of one cover from said hanger. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the double cam employed in my construction. Fig. 9 is a detail view in elevation, showing the step-shaped arrangement of a series of Fig.7 is a sectional elevahangers at one corner of the hoist; and Fig.

10 is a detail view showing the slotted construction of the adjustable member of the hanger.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, A designates a hatchway extending through the several floors B of the building, and in this hatchway is adapted to travel an elevator cage, car, or The opening in each floor of the hatchway is adapted to be closed by a cover D, of suitable construction, and in the ascent of the car these covers are taken up successively by the top part of the cage or platform, while covers suspended from the bottom of the cage or platform are successively placed in position in the openings as the car passes the-floors B. This general system of hatchway-covers is well-known to those skilled in the art and particularly disclosed by the Patent No. 592,933, to which reference has been made.

One of the improvements which I have made resides in the means for actuating the coversupporting bolt 5. This bolt is slidably mounted in the chamber or recess 6 of a suitable type of frame 7. This frame accommodates a rock-shaft 8, which is provided with a double cam 9, which isarranged in an exposed position outside of a box or casing 15. The rock-shaft 8 extends intothe chamber 6 of the framework, and at its inner end this rock-shaft is provided with a depending arm 10, the latter having an antifriction-roller 11, which is fitted snugly in a notch 12, the latter being provided in the upper edge of the bolt 5. This bolt is slidably mounted for movement in a noiseless manner within the chamber 6 by the employment of yieldable rollers 13, which are mounted in pairs above and below the path of the bolt and adapted to have frictional engagement therewith. These rollers are shown by Fig. 4 as consisting of suitable cores, preferably of metal coveredbyrubber jackets, said rollercores being mounted in the frame, while the jackets engage frictionall y with the edge portions of the bolt; but it will be understood that the specific construction of the rollers may be modified within the skill of the constructor. The bolt 5 is provided on its under side with a stop-finger 14, which is adapted to limit the forward movement of said bolt by engaging with the lower front roller 13, the backward movement of the bolt being limited by the stop-finger engaging with the lower rear roller 13, as will be readily understood by reference. to Fig. 4. The employment of the rollers not only insures the free motion of the bolt in the frame, but it also enables the bolt to work noiselessly.

The framework 7 and its contained parts are adapted to be supported adjustably in a box or casing 15, which is set in or secured firmly to the wall E or other part of the hatchway A. This box or casing is intended to be 1 secured solidly or in a permanent way to the hatchway-wall, and the frame 7 is slipped into a chamber 16 of said box or casing, said frame and its contained parts being adjusted to the proper position with relation to the line of travel of the parts for supporting the cover and actuating the bolt, after which the frame is secured firmly in the adjusted position. gle piece of metal with internal lugs or shoulders 17, the same being provided with female threaded openings 18. The rear part of the framework 7 is reduced, so as to fit snugly between the shoulders 17 of the box or casing, and the end portions of this frame 7 carry the adjusting-screws 19 and the fasteningscrews 20. (See Fig. 4.) The adjustingscrews 19 have threaded engagement with the upper'and lower portions of the framework 7 and are adapted to be seated solidly against the lug 17, whereas the fasteningscrews 20 pass loosely through the frame 7 and have threaded engagement with the openings 18 in the box or casing. derstood that the frame 7 is slipped into the chamber of the box or casing, and the position of this frame, with its contained parts, is determined by adjusting the screws 19, which are seated against the lugs 17. After This box or casing 15 is cast in a sin-' It is to be un' the frame shall have been adjusted to the desired position the bolts 20 are screwed into the openings 18, and these bolts, with the screws 19, cooperate in holding the frame 7 steadily in the box or casing. It will be also understood that the bolts 20 may be unscrewed at any time to permit the frame and its contained parts to be adjusted toward and from the line of travel of the devices on the car which cooperate with the cam 9 for actuating the latch-bolt 5, thus compensating for wear due to the frictional engagement of the parts.

The cover D for the hatchway-opening at each floor is shown by Fig. 4 as having a pro-- jection d, adapted to engage with the end portion of the bolt 5 in the projected position of the latter; but when the bolt 5 is withdrawn from engagement with the projection d of said cover D a suspension-hook 21 on the car engages with said projection 01 for the purpose of connecting said cover to the bottom portion of the car, the withdrawal of the bolt 5 and the engagement of the suspension-hook 21 being so timed that the hook will fit into the projection d before the bolt is withdrawn.

Another improvement which I have made consists of an adjustable hanger adapted to carry the suspension-hook 21 and the means for operating the double cam 9 on the vertical travel of the car. This hanger is shown by Figs. 2 and 3 as consisting of two members 22 23, which are coupled together for vertical and lateral adjustment. The member 22 is in the form of an angle-iron having one of its parts applied against the platform 0 of the cage or hoist G in a way to be secured firmly thereto by bolts or their equivalents. The depending portion of this hanger member is provided with a vertical slot 24 and a horizontal slot 25, said slots thus lying at right angles to each other. The other member 23 of the hanger is similarly provided with vertical and horizontal slots, and this hanger member is applied in lapping relation to the angular hanger member 22, so that the vertical slot of one hanger member will cross the horizontal slot of the other hanger member. The two members are clamped solidly together by the employment of bolts 26, which pass through the coincident slots, and these bolts may have their nuts slackened to permit the member 23 to be adjusted in either a vertical direction or a horizontal direction on the angular member 22, that is fixed to the hoistplatform 0. The member 23 of the hanger is provided with a laterally-extending trigger 27, which is inclined in a downward direction from said hanger member, and this trigger is peculiarly fashioned at its free extremity to form the cam-nose 28, which is adapted to ride against one or the other of the members forming the cam 9, according to the direction in which the car is moving, in a way to actuate the cam and the bolt easily and without jar on the several parts. Said hanger member 23 is also provided with an oftstanding lug or plate 29, having an inclined face 30, and in this lug or plate are journaled the rollers 31, said rollers being disposed one below the other for their peripheral faces to lie beyond the inclined edge 30 and the rollers being mounted for their axes to lie. in difierent vertical and horizontal planes. The hanger member 23 is also provided with an inclined plate 34, which extends downwardly and inwardly from the lower roller 31 toward the hanger member 23. The rollers 31, the suspension-hook 21, and the shoeor plate 34 are disposed in a different vertical whereby the trigger is adapted for engagement with the cam 9, while the rollers, the hook, and the shoe may ride against the bolt should it project more or less after havingbeen shifted for a part of its distance by the movement of the cam and the cooperation of said trigger with the cam. The suspensionhook2l has a shank 21 which is extended along the hanger member 23, said shank being pivoted to said hanger member. A spring 32 is carried by the hanger member in a position for engagement with said shank of the suspension-hook, the latter having a beveled or inclined lower end 33, adapted to be deflected by riding against the projecting end of the latch-bolt 5. The cam 9 is shown in detail by Fig. 8, and it is similar to the corresponding part disclosed by Patent No. 592,933, to which reference has been made.

In the practical service of the apparatus the cage or hoist C is equipped at its top with a number of covers D, as seen in Figs. 1 and 5, and at its bottom with a series of the twopart hangers and a series of similar covers D, the members 23 of said hangers being of different lengths, so that each set of hangers at the different corners of the hoist will be arranged in the stepped order shown by Fig. 9. When the hoist (J ascends, the covers D in place across the hatchway are successively gathered or collected on the top of the car as the hoist passes the different floors, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 5, and as the lower part of the hoist passes above each floor a cover suspended from a certain set of the hangers 23 is deposited on the bolts 5, containedin the horizontal series of cover-suspending devices at each floor. When the carmoves upwardly, the covers are lifted off the bolts 5 and colleetautomatically on the top of the car. The rollers 31 ride against the projecting end of the bolt, so as to'force it back and permit the parts to pass.

The trigger 27 next rides against the upper part 9*" of the cam, so as to project the bolt5 into the path of the nose of the pivoted hook 21, and the nose then rides on the curved lower face of the bolt, so as to deflect the hook and cause it to drop the cover D for the projection d to rest on the bolt, as will be unplane from the trigger 27,

derstood by reference to Figs. 7 and 4. On the descent of the hoist the hooks 21 pass into the projections 61 of the cover, and the triggers 27 ride against the low parts of the cams at the floor, so as to retract the series of boltsin time for the projections d of the cover to remain in engagement with the books 21 of the hangers, thus placing the cover in the hooks of the proper set of hangers at the bottom of the car, as seen by reference to Fig. 7. As the upper part of the hoist passes the floor in the descending movement the bolts are moved to the projected positions by suitable. devices, forming no part of the present invention, so that the cover on the top of the car will engage the bolts and be supported thereby. Thus on the descent of the car the covers are successively collected at the bottom of the car, and the covers from the top of the car are deposited successively on the bolts at the different floors. On the ascent of the hoist and with the bolt in a retracted position, as shown by Fig. 2, the trigger is arranged for its nose 28 to ride against the high part of the upper member on the cam, thus turning the latter and projecting the bolt into position to engage one of the covers at the bottom of the hoist, butit sometimes happens that-the trigger and the cam do not operate, owing to rebounding of the parts after a blow, to fully retract the bolt on one trip of the hoist. In this event the rollers 31 will engage the bolt on the next ascent of the car and force the bolt to its fullyretracted position. On the descent of the hoist the nose 33 of the trigger will ride against the bolt, so as to be deflected thereby, and the nose of the trigger will ride against the lower member 9 of the cam, thus moving the bolt to its projected position. Should the car descend with the bolt in a partly-projected position, the shoe 34 will ride against the bolt and force it back to its full position. It will thus be understood that the trigger acts on the cam in the up and down movements of the hoist to slide the bolt; but should the bolt accidentally assume a projected or partly-projected position it will be forced back by the rollers on the ascent 0t the hoist and by the shoe on the descent of the hoist. I

It is to be observed that the cam 9 and the bolt may be adjusted horizontally by shifting the frame 7 in the casing 15 to the line of travel of the hock,'trigger, shoe, and rollers on thej hanger attached to the hoist and that the parts carried by the hanger may be adjusted vertically and horizontally with respect to the cam and the bolt on the stationary casing 15. These adjustments make provision for bringing the several cooperating parts into such relation that they will work easily and noiselessly without jar and undue friction, and in case any of the parts get out of order they can readily be restored without out dismounting the elevator appliances.

&

Patent 1. In a device of the class described, a 'wallfixture for supporting a hatchway-cover having upper and lower horizontal series of rollers, a single latch slidably confined between said rollers of the two series, and a cam having operative connection with said latch-bolt.

2. In a device of the class described, a wallfixture for supporting a hatchway-cover having upper and lower series of yieldable rollers, a single latch-bolt slidably' confined between the rollers of the two series and provided with a stop-finger which is arranged to play between adjacent rollers, and an operating-cam connected operatively with said bolt.

3. In adevice of the class described, a wallfixture for supporting a hatchway-cover having a suitable frame, a latch-bolt confined slidably in the frame and provided with a single notch, a cam -shaft, an arm projecting from said shaft, a roller carried by said arm and working freely in said notch of the bolt, and an exposed cam fast with the shaft and operable to rock the latter and swing the arm for imparting slidable movement to the bolt.

4:. In a device of the class described, a fixed box or casing, a frame fitted adjustably in said box or casing and carrying a bolt, with means for actuating the same, and devices for adjusting and fastening said frame within said box or casing.

5. In a device of the class described, a box or casing, a framework therein, a bolt associated with actuating means and mountedin said framework to be adjustable therewith relatively to the box or casing, and means for holding the framework in a fixed position beneath said box or casing.

6. In a device of the class described, a box or casing having bearing-lugs, a frame fitted in said box or casing for adjustment therein, a bolt associated with operating mechanism and mounted insaid framework for adjustment therewith relatively to the casing, adjusting-screws mounted in one of said parts and engaging with the other part, and fastening-bolts for holding the frame in its adjusted positions.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a two-part hanger having members connected adjustably one to the other for one member to be shifted sidewise and endwise with relation to the other memher, a movable latch-bolt, a cam for controlling said bolt, and bolt-actuating devices carried by said adjustable member of the hanger.

8. In a device of the class described, a twopart hanger having members provided with coincident slots, bolts for clamping said members together for sidewise and endwise adjustment with relation to one another, a movable latch-bolt, and bolt-actuating devices carried by the adjustable member of said hanger.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a hatchway-fixture including a latch-bolt and a cam connected operatively with said bolt, of a hanger having means for fastening the same adjustably to an elevator-hoist, and a trigger carried by the hanger and arranged to ride against said cam, said trigger being adjustable with said hanger in horizontal and vertical directions and with reference to the position of said cam.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cover-supporting bolt, and a cam for actuating the same, of a hanger adapted to be carried by'a hoist-platform, a trigger on said hanger for engagement With the cam, rollers mounted in different vertical planes on said hanger, and a shoe also carried by the hanger, said rollers and the shoe being disposed for engagement with the bolt in a wrongly-projected condition thereof on the vertical travel of the car in one direction or the other.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cover-supporting bolt, and an actuating-camtherefor, of a two-part hanger having one member adapted for application to a hoist-platform and the other hanger member being adjustable on said fixed hanger member, a trigger carried by the adj ustable hanger member and disposed for engagement with said bolt-controlling cam, rollers also mounted on the adjustable hanger member, and a shoe carried by the adjustable hanger member; said rollers and the shoe being adapted, on the vertical travel of the hoist, to engage the bolt in a wrongly-projected position thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL E. AUSTIN.

Witnesses:

J NO. M. BITTER,

H. F. BERNHARD. 

